Pushing Past Hurts to Build Deep Relationships

Pushing Past Hurts to Build Deep Relationships

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You’ve probably heard this quote by Ellen Johnson Sirleaf: “If your dreams do not scare you, they are not big enough.” Many of us dream of having great relationships with a spouse, children, co-workers, neighbors, friends or extended family. Even self-professed...
Why We Lie

Why We Lie

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Lying to others is deplorable. It erodes trust, the glue in any relationship. You don’t have to look to the political arena to see it either. Look at your workplace, in your home, and even in your own heart. But lying to ourselves (and to God) is worse than lying to...
Change Bad Habits with the Power of Replacement

Change Bad Habits with the Power of Replacement

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Replacement is my new watchword. It’s my key to changing anything I don’t like about my life. This may seem simplistic and even intuitive but let’s see how well we measure up with this little quiz. The Vacuum of Habit If you answered true to any of these questions,...
Overcoming the Need to “Medicate” Emotional Pain

Overcoming the Need to “Medicate” Emotional Pain

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It is human nature to flinch and flee from physical and emotional pain. And the torment from abandonment, rejection, verbal abuse, and shame can linger long after physical trauma has healed. But because those wounds are on the inside where no one can see them and...
The “Mundane” Things in Marriage Make or Break It

The “Mundane” Things in Marriage Make or Break It

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I could spit on every romance novel I read as a teenager. They deluded me into thinking that marriage was one, long romantic adventure. What a crock. I’m not down on marriage. I endured four difficult years of separation because I believe so profoundly in marriage....
3 Signs of a Tender Conscience

3 Signs of a Tender Conscience

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Last week, my husband got into a bit of a funk. As we lay in bed after another exhausting day of parenting, work, household chores, and church activities, he opened up about feeling like he wasn’t doing his best to help our special needs son, to support our family, and in serving others in the community. We can all feel like we are not living up to God’s expectations. We question our…

Intimacy with God is a One-Size-Fits-All

Intimacy with God is a One-Size-Fits-All

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A little more than four years ago, my husband and I separated due to sin in my husband’s life. I soon found out was there was quite a lot in my own and it was primarily due to my shallow intimacy with God. It is my default to try to play god in my life and in...
Tales from a Reluctant Rush-Junky

Tales from a Reluctant Rush-Junky

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So today marks my first official day as a “self-supporting” full-time writer. And—no joke—I’m a little petrified. I’ve fancied jumping off this cliff for a long time. I’d stand a few feet from the edge gazing up into the bright, clear sky, feeling God’s warmth and...